The Third Man
1949, NR, 93 min. Directed by Carol Reed. Starring Joseph Cotten, Orson Welles, Trevor Howard, Alida Valli.
REVIEWED By Marjorie Baumgarten, Thu., Oct. 21, 1999
A true classic, The Third Man was ranked 57 on the AFI’s list of the top 100 films. Based on a story by Graham Greene, the movie is a noir classic set in a shadowy postwar Vienna. It’s one of Orson Welles’ best remembered roles and the film’s now-familiar zither music sets the story’s ambiguous tone perfectly. This 50th anniversary release is the first U.S. distribution of the complete director’s cut (also known as the European version). It’s 11 minutes longer than the American version, which trimmed but did not delete any scenes. Another difference between the European and American versions is that in the European version director Carol Reed recites the opening narration and in the American cut it is delivered by Joseph Cotten.
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Marjorie Baumgarten, Aug. 19, 1999
The Third Man, Carol Reed, Joseph Cotten, Orson Welles, Trevor Howard, Alida Valli
